Hoisting and conveying machine



(No Model- M. W. LOCKE. v HoIsTING AND GQNVEYING MACHINE.

No. 377,947. Patented Feb. 14, 1888.v

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W 272651966. y ZM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILo W. LocKE, oE WILMINGTON, DELAWARE;

Hols'rINe AND'CONVEYING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 377.947, dated February 14,1888.

i Application iiled August 16, 1887. Serial No. 247,093. (No model.) v

To all whompit mwyconcerm Be it known that I, MILO W. LOOKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented new and useful Imdrum of the conveying-rope, whereby the car-v riage is drawn back and forth upon the cable, to hold the same'with 'a constant force for any required period,the whole being accomplished by the operation of a simple valve.

It is my further purpose to provide a simple construction and arrangement whereby the fall-rope, by which the load is hoisted to and lowered from the carriage, may be paid out and taken in simultaneously with the conveyerrope and with equal speed, the separate drums being so mounted upon the same shaft that they may revolve together or the conveyerdrum be locked rigidly, to hold the carriage motionless while the drum of the fall-rope is revolved to lift or lower the load. By this improvement I am enabledto dispense with a positive locking device between the carriage and the tackle-block, as well as to obviate the necessity of employing a grip to lock the carriage to the cable at points where it is desired to take or deposit a load.

It is also my purpose to simplify and improve the several parts and combinations of parts composing said mechanism. A

The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts, hereinafter fully described, anddeiinitely pointed out in the claims which follow this specification. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the cable or track, together with the engine in position for operation. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the carriage and tackle-block removed from the cable.

FigQ is an edge View of the parts shown in Figui. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the parts composing the lock for the conveyer-drum, to-

gether with the devices by which said lock is operated. Fig. 7 isa side elevation of one of the fall-rope carriers or slack-supporters.-

In the said drawings the reference-numeral l denotes a wire cable' anchored strongly at each end and carried by supports 2 of any proper form or construction. Upon this cable runs a` carriage, 3, consisting of metal plates, between which are journaled grooved rolls 4, which run upon thecable. Below these traveling rolls are journaled pulleys 5, over which runs a wire rope connecting the carriage toa block, r6, having a hook or other suitable device, 7. rIhe wire rope 8, which I may term the fall-rope,7 after passing over the pulleys 5 and around the similar pulleys, 5, in the block 6, is carried toward one end of `the cable, passes over a pulley, 9, on the cablesupport- 2, and thence to the engine. This rope is supported at suitable intervals by means of carriers or slack-supporters10,which have rolls 11 traveling upon the cable l an'd lower rolls, 12, upon which the fall-rope may rest. A spacing chain or rope, 13,'is fastened at one end to the carriage 3 Vand at the other to the cable-support 2, and at stated intervals between its ends it is connected to the carriers. These devices support the slack of the ropev when run Aout to any considerable length.

When the rope is drawn in, the carriers arel brought together, as shown in Fig. 3, rubber bumpers 14 being provided to prevent too close cont-act.

' Upon the outside of one ofthe metal plates of the carriage 3 are attached eyes 15, to which are connected the two ends of an otherwise endless rope, 16. Starting from the engine, this rope runs -over a pulley, 17, on the support 2, thence to the opposite end of the cableline, whereit passes over apulley,18, mountedupon a supporting-bracket,19, the latter being carried on a post or other support, 2,v

This pulley may beadjusted by al screw, 20,

totighten the rope 16, and from said pulley the rope runs over a fixedpulley, 21placed on the support 2 beneath the pulleyl7; From the latter point it returns to the engine.v

The hoisting and conveying mechanism `ccnsists of abcd-piece, 22, upon which are brach-f i ets 23, in which is journaled a shaft, 24, having its axis inclined and carrying a drum, 25. This drum is provided with a series of circumferential grooves 26, to receive the rope 16,which is guided to the first groove byapulley, 27. In rear of the drum 25 is a rope-drum, 28, having grooves 29 and carried by a hori, zontal shaft, 30. This drum is normally loose upon the shaft 30, but is caused to revolve therewith by the following means:

Rigidly mounted upon the shaft is a large gear, 31, having upon one vertical face a chuck-annulus,32, provided with an outwardlyexpanding seat, against which bears an engaging-ring, 33, on the drum. Upon its outer end the shaft is provided with aslot, in which lies a key or wedge, 34, bearing against the drum. Against this key bears a bar, 35, pro- Y vided with a thread which takesinto athreaded yoke-piece, 36, outside the bracket 37 ,in which the shaft is `journaled. Upon its end this bar has a crank-lever, 38, by which the bar may be either thrown against the key 34 and the clutchsurfaces between the gear 31 and the drum 28 engaged, thereby causing the drum to revolve with the gear; or the parts may be disengaged from each other, allowing the shaft to revolve without affecting the drum. These are alll of known construction.

Upon each end the rope-drum is provided with a broad locking-pulley, 39. Over or around each pulley runs a brake-band, 40, of any suitable construction. The ends of each brakeband are connected to double bell-cranks 41, rigid on a rock-shaft, 42, j ournaled beneath the drum. Upon the end of this rock-shaft is a crank-arm, 43, to the end of which is connected a piston-rod, 44,'the upper extremity thereof entering a cylinder, 45, where it is connected to a piston, 46. I have shown the piston-rod prolonged and the upper end of the cylinder provided with a cap, 47, through which the piston-rod passes to give it additional bearing. The cap 47 is provided with an air-opening, 48, to allow the free movement of the piston without creating a partial vacnum above the piston, and steam is introduced beneath th'e piston by means of a pipe, 49, having a three-way cock, 50. This cock is provided with a diametrical passage, 51, and acentral passage at right angles thereto,where by the piston may be raised and held for any length of time, or the steam may be exhausted by giving a quarter-turn to the valve. The steam-pipe 49 is a branch from the pipe 52, which supplies the cylinders 53, by which the drum 28 is revolved. In said steam-pipe is placed the three-way cock 50, as already described, providedwith a lever, 54, by which it is turned. This lever may conveniently be arranged near the pipe 52 and the valve 55, which opens the steam-passage to the cylinder 53, whereby the engineer may operate both from the same standpoint. The handle 56 of the lever 38 is also brought into proximity with said parts. v

Upon the side of the bed-,piece 22 is an extension, 22, containing bearings 57 for the prolonged shaft 30, which carries the rope-drum 28. Upon this prolonged shaft is mounted a drum, 58,which is in all essential respects the counterpart of the drum 28, being of similar diameter, driven by a gear, 59, to which it is clutched and unclutched in the manner already set forth in connection with the rope-drum 28. The only points of difference are that the drum 58 is somewhat greater in length, is spirally grooved, and has a foot or hand brake, 40, but no steamy-lock. The brake is of the same construction as that usedon the rope-drum, save that it is operated by manual power. It is operated by one of the cylinders 53, which drives one end of the shaft 61, havinga small gear, 62, meshing with the gear 59. This drum takes the hoisting or fall rope 8, already described.

The conveyer-rope 16, after passing under the pulley 27, goes into the first groove on the lower side of the drum 25 and thence into the corresponding groove of the rope-drum 28. Thence it passes over the latter and back into the second groove of drum 25,around thelatter, and back to drum 28. In this manner the rope is carried around these drums as many times as may be necessary to prevent the endless rope from slipping, and said rope inallypasses back over the pulley or the support 2 to the carriage.

'From the construction thus described it will be seen that both the hoisting-rope and the conveyer-rope are operated by the same shaft and by equal drums. Thus any positive connection or lock between the tackle-block and carriage is dispensed with. At the same time either drum may be operated separately. Thus when a load is to be taken the carriage is moved over the spot, both the conveyer-rope4 I and the fall-rope moving together. The drum 28 is then locked and unlatched from its gear 31, and the fall-rope is paid out until the tackle-block is lowered to the proper point, which may be accomplished by simply unclutching the drum58 from the gear 59. When the load is made fast to the block,the whole is hoisted to the proper point, whereupon the' rope-drum 28 is again clutched to its gear 3l andunlocked by shutting ofi" the steam from the cylinder 45. Both drums now move together until the point is reached where the load is to be dropped, whereupon the ropedrum 28 is again unclutched and locked, and the block is then lowered with the load.

It will be seen that by employing the continuous or practically continuous conveyerrope and locking the drum 28, I am able to dispense entirely with any grip or similar mechanism for anchoring the carriage.

The parts shown in Figs. 4, 5, and7 form no part of this application.

What I claim is 1. The combination,with a cable and with a. carriage running thereon, of a rope having its ends connected to said carriage, a guiding or forward drum and a rope-drum, around both of IIO with the rope-drum, means for clutching and nnclutching either drum separately, a brake- I 5 band for the rope-drum, and a tackle-block connected to the carriage by a hoisting-rope carried bythe hoisting-drum, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I vhave affixed my sigzo nature in presence of tWo witnesses.

MIL() W.' LOCKE.

Witnesses:

FRANK E. SMITH, HARRY A. WINKs. 

